Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-06-02
WALES AND HIS WIFE.
THE MANY RESTRAINTS INCIDENT
TO AN EXALTED POSITION

Concealed Bitter in the Seeming Sweets.
The Princess Not Altogether Adorable.
An Unhappy Daughter-wsles Open
to Just Criticism.
1t is a popular idea in America, quite as
much If not more than in England, that
the Prince of Wales is about the last man in
the world to be restrained in enything. All
the little naughty tales which have been
whispered about him would lead one to sup
pose that such a thing as restraint had about
as much power over his actions as silk
thread would have to tether an elephant 1t
does not follow that all that is said of him is
true; indeed it is safe to say that nine-tenths
of it isn't But if he sometimes does over
step the royal boundary; if his spirit does
now and then rise up in arms against the
forced cramping sought to be put upon his
nature, who can blame him? He is only
man after all. even though the British nation
are pleased to consider him good deal more.
And then, of course, his slips are more
noticed than other peoples, ana mole hills
become mountains in a short space Of time,
once Truth, The World and Vanity Fair get
an inkling of the matter.
often wonder he is as good as he is, poor
chap. The princess IS rather 9 dragon, 1
fancy, and does good deal of quiet flirting
with the good looking equerries and lords in
waiting, as her restraint is less than that Of
other married royalties" She enjoys the
prerogative of asking men to dance with her
at balls. This doesn't look like restraint GER
tainly; yet there is a restraint in it. 1t is
a right which no nice minded woman would
care to exercise be she the queen, princess,
or what you like. Her res RANT consists in
not letting men ask her; I she might hesi-
tate about asking men and compelling them
to throw over previous enL agements, as they
would be obliged TO do, no engagement for
anything-ball, dinner party, contemplated
journey or dance-holding good against a
royal command Knowing this q refined
woman would feel great delicacy in forcing
men to dance with her.
THE PRINCESS NOT SENSITIVE
The Princess of Wales, however, doesn't
seem to be troubled much with sensitfveness
In regard to this Indeed, so far from shrink
ing from royal obtrusiveness, she wields her
power with considerable lack of womanly
feeling. Some time ago there used to be q
young man who was at all the court balls
and other entertainments where the princess
was He was a good dancer and handsome;
but, alas, he had heart complaint, and his
doctor warned him on no account to dance
So he used to stand about and look on. There
were loads of lovely girls with whom he
would have risked a good deal for few
turns of waltz. But his physicians orders
must be obeyed. The Princess of Wales
found out about it, and instead of commend
ing the young chap for his good sense and
sympathizing with him, what does she do!
Sends him word by equerry that is the
@formf1 that she wishes to dance with him
He turns pale, for he knows he can't refuse
or excuse himself. So off he goes, at the
risk of his life, Juggling round a woman
whose lameness does not exactly improve her
heavy Danish step, while dozens of his favor
ite partners are with "other fellows" A wo-
man who can do that sort of thing is not apt
to make husbands home happy.
If looks mean anything her eldest daugh-
ter, Princess Louise of Wales, who by the by
has just passed her 20th birthday, is far from
being happy girl At Sandown races she
looked depressed and miserable. Her high
station makes her superior" to every man
she talks to, and she cannot unbend and be
natural in any way. Restraint again When
she marries it will be better for her, poor
girl. As it is she sits silent and dull Her
dressing, too, is a disgrace to her mother
Take last year at Goodwood, for instance
There was the Princess of Wales, herself
decked out in a light gray satin costume, and
her two daughters, Louise and Maud, dow
dily attired in brown spotted merino frocks
and black cloth jackets Nice mother that,
keeping her girls back so as to remain young
herself as long as she can.
OPEN TO JUST CRITICISM
I do not JnaB the Prince Of
Wales has not good time now and then, for
he has. Why shouldn't he? All l mean to
say is that his life is not one long, uninter-
rupted dream of fairyland. He may do silly
things to amuse himself, but, on the other
hand, he has boring levees to hold for the
queen, foundation stones to lay, bridges to
open, dinners to go to, speeches to make,
meetings to preside at and every heavy
drawing room and other court entertainment
TO be present at. If he does get away, when
he can, to smoke cigarette at his club with
his set, have chat behind the scenes at the
Gaiety or take run over to Cannes or HON.
burg for a good time generally with any
bright, witty American girl who can talk
and cheer man up, who would really blame
him? He is only seeking freedom from re-
straint.
He does some unnecessary things, however
things out of keeping with ones ideal of
man-and then he leaves himself open to just
criticism. For example, at Sandown races
last week he had young and pretty women
walters instead OF men to carry round re-
freshments, and went SO far in fostering the
innovation as to personally design the COS
tune they were attired in-viz., black cloaks,
three cornered caps, short skirts and red
stockings He is getting triie too old for
such nonsense, is "Tummy," and one would
have a right to expect greater things from
the nations future king during his mothers
jubilee year, especially did not one remember
that after all it is but species of pardonable
relaxation occasioned by the habitual restraint
there is thrown over him.-London Cor San
Francisco Argonaut